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Genesis 41:18 — Word Study

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WLCוְהִנֵּ֣ה מִן־ הַיְאֹ֗ר עֹלֹת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פָּר֔וֹת בְּרִיא֥וֹת בָּשָׂ֖ר וִיפֹ֣ת תֹּ֑אַר וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה בָּאָֽחוּ׃

BSAwhen sevenshebaʻ cowspârâh [heifers, young female cattle] well-fedbârîyʼ [fat, plump] and sleekyâpheh [beautiful, lovely in appearance] came upʻâlâh [ascended, rose] frommin the riveryᵉʼôr [stream, watercourse] and began to grazerâʻâh [feed, tend] among the reedsʼâchûw [meadow, field of grass]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 41
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 18 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ba.'A.chu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 41:18quick helps
In a sentenceJoseph recounts a dream where seven healthy cows emerge from the river and graze in the reeds.
Who is speakingPharaoh, sharing his dream with Joseph.
Where we areThe narrative of Pharaoh's dreams, which foreshadow future events in Egypt.
The hard wordעֹלֹת֙
Take awayThe imagery of abundance and beauty in the cows contrasts sharply with the subsequent vision of lean, ugly cows.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause verbעָלָה The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Genesis 41:18

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Pharaoh's Dreamgenerated

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
18when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
19After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!
20Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.

Genesis 41:18 describes Pharaoh's dream where seven well-fed and beautiful cows come up from the river, symbolizing abundance and prosperity. This dream is pivotal, as it sets the stage for Joseph's interpretation that foretells the coming years of plenty followed by famine in Egypt. This narrative reflects God's sovereignty over the affairs of nations and His ability to reveal future events through dreams.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Jeremiah 24:1–3After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, as well as the officials of Judah and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:Jeremiah 24:1–3

The Key Word עֹלֹת֙, 'o.Lotgenerated

The Hebrew word עָלָה (alah) means 'to ascend' or 'to rise.' It captures the action of the cows coming up from the river, emphasizing their emergence and vitality. This word is often used in contexts that involve elevation or increase, indicating a significant movement from one state to another.

In this verse, the participle form עֹלֹת֙ suggests a continuous action, highlighting the cows' rising as a notable event in Pharaoh's dream. The imagery of the cows ascending from the river to graze invokes a sense of vitality and abundance, which is crucial to understanding the dream's implications.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb עֹלֹת֙ governs the verse, describing the action of the cows. The structure includes a series of descriptive phrases that elaborate on the cows' characteristics and their actions, creating a vivid image of the scene.

The sentence is structured to emphasize the cows' emergence from the river, with the prepositional phrase מִן־ indicating their origin, followed by adjectives that detail their physical attributes, enriching the narrative.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates עֹלֹת֙ with ἀνέβαινον, which means 'they were ascending.' This choice maintains the original meaning of rising while also reflecting the Greek language's nuances.

This translation suggests a continuity of action, emphasizing the cows' movement from the river, which aligns with the overall theme of abundance and vitality in the dream.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 41:18 recounts Pharaoh's dream of seven healthy cows coming up from the river to graze among the reeds. This dream symbolizes abundance and prosperity, contrasting with the subsequent vision of seven thin and ugly cows. The imagery emphasizes the significance of the cows in the narrative, foreshadowing the events to come.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What do the seven cows represent in Pharaoh's dream?

The seven cows symbolize years of abundance and prosperity in Egypt, which will be followed by years of famine.

Why is the description of the cows important?

The description emphasizes their health and beauty, contrasting sharply with the later appearance of the thin cows, highlighting the severity of the forthcoming famine.

How does this dream relate to Joseph's interpretation?

Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream as a divine revelation of the future, indicating that the healthy cows represent good years, while the thin cows signify impending hardship.

What role does the river play in this verse?

The river serves as the origin point for the cows, symbolizing life and abundance, as it is a vital water source in Egypt.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does the imagery of the healthy cows teach us about abundance and preparation?
  2. How can we apply the lessons from Pharaoh's dream to our lives today?
  3. In what ways do we recognize signs of abundance or scarcity in our own circumstances?
  4. What steps can we take to prepare for future challenges, as Joseph did?

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 41:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine,.... Cows or heifers, [See comments on Genesis 41:2]; the account of them is the same here as there, and of the place where they fed, only the words are transposed.

Read John Gill on Genesis 41 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: There came up out of the river.

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 41 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 41:18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: Ver. 18.

Read John Trapp on Genesis 41 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) In a meadow.—Heb., in the marsh-grass, as in Genesis 41:2.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 41 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 18. Seven kine, fat-fleshed] See Clarke on Genesis 41:2. And observe farther, that the seven fat and the seven lean kine coming out of the same river plainly show, at once, the cause both of the plenty and the dearth. It is well known that there is scarcely any rain in Egypt; and that the country depends for its fertility on the overflowing of the Nile; and that the fertility is in proportion to the duration and quantity of the overflow. We may therefore safely conclude that the seven years of plenty were owing to an extraordinary overflowing of the Nile; and that the seven years of dearth were occasioned by a very partial, or total want of this essentially necessary inundation. Thus…

Read AdamClarke on Genesis 41 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

and behold, seven fat and sleek cattle came up out of the river. They fed in the marsh grass;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored: and they fed in the reed-grass:

RVARevised Version, American1894

and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in the reed-grass:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And behold, there came out of the river seven cows, fat-fleshed, and well-favored; and they fed in a meadow:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And lo, there came vp out of the riuer seuen fat fleshed, and welfauoured kine, and they fedde in the medowe.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and of fine form, and they fed in the reed-grass.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and lo, out of the River coming up are seven kine, fat [in] flesh, and of fair form, and they feed among the reeds;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and behold, out of the River coming up are seven cows, fat [in] flesh, and of beautiful form, and they feed among the reeds;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, fat in flesh and good in shape; and they fed in the meadow;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Behold, seven cows came up out of the Nile, fat and desirable, and they grazed among the reeds.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And seven kine came up out of the river exceeding beautiful and full of flesh: and they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

I saw seven cows coming up from the river. They looked well-fed and healthy as they grazed among the reeds.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And out of the Nile came seven cows, fat and good-looking, and their food was the river-grass;

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וְandclauseclauseהִנֵּ֣הthere!clauseclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִןfromnoun phraseהַtheיְאֹ֗רRiververbעֹלֹת֙[were].coming.upnoun phrase · subjectשֶׁ֣בַעsevennoun phraseפָּר֔וֹתcowsadjective phraseadjective phraseבְּרִיא֥וֹתfatבָּשָׂ֖רof.fleshוִandadjective phraseיפֹ֣תgood.lookingתֹּ֑אַרof.formוַandclauseverbתִּרְעֶ֖ינָהthey.grazedprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָּamongnoun phrasetheאָֽחוּreed[s]

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint, which matches 10 of the 12 words. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in four words, specifically using עלות (ascend) and בריות (fat) instead of the Masoretic terms.

The Dead Sea Scrolls contain one word on the leather and several restored, but the core message aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, indicating a strong consistency across these ancient witnesses.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִן־ הַיְאֹ֗ר עֹלֹת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פָּר֔וֹת בְּרִיא֥וֹת בָּשָׂ֖ר וִיפֹ֣ת תֹּ֑אַר וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה בָּאָֽחוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְהִנֵּ֣הὥσπερמִן־ἐκהַיְאֹ֗רποταμοῦעֹלֹת֙ἀνέβαινονשֶׁ֣בַעἑπτὰפָּר֔וֹתβόεςוִיפֹ֣תκαλαὶתֹּ֑אַרεἴδειוַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָהἐνέμοντοבָּאָֽחוּ׃ἐν

10 of the 12 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

והנה מן היאר עלות שׁבע פרות בריות בשׂר ויפות תאר ותריענה באחו

4 words differ from the Masoretic Text: עלות (ascend), בריות (fat), יפות (beautiful), תריענה (pasture)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q9a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

והנה [מן] [היאר] [עלת] [שבע] [פרות] [בריאות] בשר ויפת תאר ותרעינה [באחו]

1 word on the leather — 4 partly restored, 7 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Genesis 41:18הִנֵּהand there!and there!הִנֵּהמִן־fromfromמִן־יְאֹרthe Riverthe Riverיְאֹרעָלָה[were] comi[were] coming uעָלָהשֶׁ֫בַעsevensevenשֶׁ֫בַעפָּרָהcowscowsפָּרָהבָּרִיאfat offat ofבָּרִיאבָּשָׂרfleshfleshבָּשָׂריָפֶהand good loand good lookinיָפֶהתֹּ֫אַרformformתֹּ֫אַרבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדand they grand they grazedבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדאָחוּamong the ramong the reed[אָחוּשָׁבַעto swearto swearשָׁבַעבָּרָאto createto createבָּרָאבָּשַׂרto bear tito bear tidingsבָּשַׂריָפָהbe beautifbe beautifulיָפָהתָּאַרto borderto borderתָּאַרהֵןlook!look!הֵןמֵןstringstringמֵןפַּרbullockbullockפַּריָפֶהbeautifulbeautifulיָפֶהנֶ֫גַעplagueplagueנֶ֫גַעחֲלוֹםdreamdreamחֲלוֹםרָחַקto removeto removeרָחַקיָתַרto remainto remainיָתַרדָּגָהfishfishדָּגָהעֹלָהburnt offeburnt offeringעֹלָהיְאֹרstreamstreamיְאֹרפַּ֫עַםbeatbeatפַּ֫עַםבָּרִיאfatfatבָּרִיא
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Genesis 41:18

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
וְהִנֵּ֣הve.hi.Neh and there! H2009 Conjunction · particle
843× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is an expression that means 'behold' or 'look', often used to draw attention to something. It appears in Genesis and Isaiah, and is translated as 'behold' or 'lo' in the KJV.
Tyndale gloss
behold
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2009 hinneh hin-nay'

prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.

see HEBREW for 02005

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.

behold, lo, see, if

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Tj — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tj
and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
מִן־min- from H4480 Preposition
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
הַיְאֹ֗רhay.'Or the River H2975 Particle · noun proper
65× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A stream or river, like the Nile, is what this word refers to. It can also mean a canal, watercourse, or even a mining shaft, emphasizing the flow of water.
Amplified meaning
stream, watercourse
Tyndale gloss
stream
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְאֹר (ye'or) refers to a stream or canal, specifically associated with the Nile River in Egypt. It encompasses various watercourses, including collateral canals and trenches, and can also denote rivers in general. The term is of Egyptian origin and highlights the significance of the Nile as a primary water source.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְאֹר, יְאוֹר n.m. stream of the Nile, stream, canal

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2975 יְאֹר, יְאוֹר stream of the Nile, stream, canal

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2975 y`or yeh-ore'

of Egyptian origin; a channel, e.g. a fosse, canal, shaft;

specifically the Nile, as the one river of Egypt, including

its collateral trenches; also the Tigris, as the main river of

Assyria:--brook, flood, river, stream.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְאֹר (ye.or) — Nile.

This name means river, stream, canal

Also named: shi.chor (שִׁיחוֹר "Nile" H7883H)

יְאֹר (ye.or) — stream.

1) river, stream, canal, Nile, Nile-canal

1a) stream, river (Nile)

1b) Nile-arms, Nile-canals

1c) watercourses

1d) shafts (mining)

1e) river (in general)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-proper — Particle · noun proper
HTd/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

riv'-er:

(1) The usual word is nahar (Aramaic nehar (Ezr 4:10, etc.)), used of the rivers of Eden (Ge 2:10-14), often of the Euphrates (Ge 15:18, etc.), of Abana and Pharpar (2Ki 5:12), the river of Gozan (2Ki 17:6), the river Chebar (Eze 1:1), the rivers (canals?) of Babylon (Ps 137:1), the rivers of Ethiopia (Isa 18:1; Ze 3:10). Compare nahr, the common Arabic word for "river."

Easton's Bible Dictionary

River

(1.) Heb. ‘aphik, properly the channel or ravine that holds water (2 Sam. 22:16), translated “brook,” “river,” “stream,” but not necessarily a perennial stream (Ezek. 6:3; 31:12; 32:6; 34:13).

(2.) Heb. nahal, in winter a “torrent,” in summer a “wady” or valley (Gen. 32:23; Deut. 2:24; 3:16; Isa. 30:28; Lam. 2:18; Ezek. 47:9).

These winter torrents sometimes come down with great suddenness and with desolating force. A distinguished traveller thus describes his experience in this matter…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

In the sense in which we employ the word viz. for a perennial stream of considerable size, a river is a much rarer object in the East than in the West. With the exception of the Jordan and the Litany, the streams of the holy land are either entirely dried up in the summer months converted into hot lanes of glaring stones, or else reduced to very small streamlets, deeply sunk in a narrow bed, and concealed from view by a dense growth of shrubs. The perennial river is called nahar by the Hebrews. With the definite article, "the river," it signifies invariably the Euphrates. (Genesis 31:21; Exodus 23:31; Numbers 24:6; 2 Samuel 10:16) etc. It is never applied to the fleeting…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This word answers in our Bible to various Hebrew terms, of which the principal are the following:

1. Yeor, an Egyptian word signifying river. It is always applied to the Nile and its various canals, except in Job 28:10 Da 12:5,6,7 2. Nahar, applied, like our word river, to constantly flowing streams, such as the Euphrates. In our version this word is sometimes rendered "flood," Jos 24:2,3, etc.

3. Nahal, a torrent-bed, or valley through which water flows in the rainy season only, Nu 34:5, etc; frequently rendered "brook," Nu 13:28 Job 6:15, etc. Such streams are to the…

and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
עֹלֹת֙'o.Lot [were] coming up H5927 Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine plural
890× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To ascend means to go up or rise, like the smoke from an altar going up to God, as described in many Bible passages, including Leviticus and Psalms.
Amplified meaning
ascended, rose
Tyndale gloss
to ascend: rise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָלָה (alah) means 'to ascend' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including going up, climbing, and rising in various contexts such as personal, natural, and spiritual. It can refer to actions involving people, animals, vegetation, and even thoughts, and includes nuances of being exalted or offering sacrifices. The word is built from a primitive root and appears in various grammatical forms, indicating different aspects of ascent or elevation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָלָה 890 vb. go up, ascend, climb

Qal

of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations

go up, in personal relations

of animals, go or come up

of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth

of natural phenom., go up, rise

of inanimate things, instead of passive construction

of thoughts

come up before God, arrogance

go up, extend, of boundary

excel

Niph.

be brought up

be taken up

pass., be taken up, away

reflex., take oneself away from, get up from

reflex.: take oneself away

be exalted, of God

Hiph.

bring up persons

in personal relations

bring up animals

cause to ascend

mentally

offer a present; bring up tithe to

exalt

cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

Hoph.

be carried away

be taken up into, inserted in

be offered

Hithp. lift oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5927 עָלָה go up, ascend, climb .. of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations

. go up, in personal relations

. of animals, go or come up

. of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth

. of natural phenom., go up, rise

. of inanimate things, instead of passive construction

. of thoughts

. come up before God, arrogance

. go up, extend, of boundary

. excel

. . . be brought up

. be taken up

. . pass., be taken up, away

. reflex., take oneself away from, get up from

. reflex.: take oneself away

. be exalted, of God

. . bring up persons

. in personal relations

. bring up animals

. cause to ascend

. mentally

. offer a present; bring up tithe to

. exalt

. cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

. . be carried away

. be taken up into, inserted in

. be offered

. lift oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5927 `alah aw-law'

a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or

actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary

and secondary, literal and figurative (as follow):--arise

(up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up),

bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb

(up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart,

exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up);

grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light,

(make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect,

prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise

(up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring

(up), stir up, take away (up), work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָלָה (a.lah) — to ascend: rise.

: rise/go

1) to go up, ascend, climb

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go up, ascend

1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat

1a3) to go up, come up (of animals)

1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation)

1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon)

1a6) to come up (before God)

1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary)

1a8) to excel, be superior to

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away

1b2) to take oneself away

1b3) to be exalted

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up

1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away

1c3) to bring up, draw up, train

1c4) to cause to ascend

1c5) to rouse, stir up (mentally)

1c6) to offer, bring up (of gifts)

1c7) to exalt

1c8) to cause to ascend, offer

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be carried away, be led up

1d2) to be taken up into, be inserted in

1d3) to be offered

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine plural
HVqrfpa
and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
שֶׁ֣בַעShe.va' seven H7651 Adj
395× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means the number seven, which was considered a special or sacred number. It can also mean seven times or a week, and is used in the Bible to describe completeness or perfection. The KJV translates it as seven or sevenfold.
Tyndale gloss
seven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba`) means 'seven' and is a cardinal number. It can also imply 'seven times' or refer to a week. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations like 17 or 700. Its Aramaic equivalent is שִׁבְעָה (shiv.ah), also meaning 'seven'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7651 שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה seven

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7651 sheba` sheh'-bah

or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from 7650; a primitive

cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also

(adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by

extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s,

(-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.

see HEBREW for 07650

see HEBREW for 07658

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) — seven.

1) seven (cardinal number)

1a) as ordinal number

1b) in combination-17, 700 etc

Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sev'-'-n (shebha`; hepta).

See NUMBER.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Seven

This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen. 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. “Jacob’s seven years’ service to Laban; Pharaoh’s seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days’ siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number” (see Lev. 25:4;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7:1-24. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41:1-57. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In…

and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
פָּר֔וֹתpa.Rot cows H6510 Noun common · feminine plural absolute
26× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A heifer is a young female cow, and this Hebrew word is used in the Bible to describe such an animal. In Exodus 29:1, a heifer is used as a sacrifice, and in Numbers 19:2, it is used for purification. It is an important animal in biblical times.
Amplified meaning
heifers, young female cattle
Tyndale gloss
heifer
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּרָה (parah) refers to a heifer or cow, specifically a female bovine. The entries consistently define it as a heifer or cow, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּרָה 26 n.f. heifer, cow

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6510 פָּרָה heifer, cow

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6510 parah paw-raw'

feminine of 6499; a heifer:--cow, heifer, kine.

see HEBREW for 06499

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּרָה (pa.rah) — heifer.

cow, heifer

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absolute
HNcfpa
and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
בְּרִיא֥וֹתbe.ri.'ot fat of H1277 Adj
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means 'fat' or 'plump', describing something or someone that is well-fed and healthy. It is used to describe animals and people, like in the story of the fat calf in Luke 15:27.
Amplified meaning
fat, plump
Tyndale gloss
fat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּרִיא (bariy') means 'fat' and can also imply being fatted, plump, firm, or plenteous. It is derived from related roots that suggest a sense of abundance or richness. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to fatness without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּרִיא adj. fat

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1277 בָּרִיא fat

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1277 bariy' baw-ree'

from 1254 (in the sense of 1262); fatted or plump:--fat

((fleshed), -ter), fed, firm, plenteous, rank.

see HEBREW for 01254

see HEBREW for 01262

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּרִיא (ba.ri) — fat.

1) fat

2) (TWOT) fat, fatter, fed, firm, plenteous, rank

Also means: ber.yah (בִּרְיָה "fat" H1274)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAafpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
בָּשָׂ֖רba.Sar flesh H1320 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
270× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for flesh refers to the body or a person, and can also describe living things or animals. In the Bible, it is used to describe humans and animals, as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Tyndale gloss
flesh
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and encompasses various meanings, including the physical body, kinship, and a euphemism for male genitalia. It can refer to humans, animals, and all living things, highlighting the frailty of man in relation to God. The entries consistently emphasize its bodily and relational aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּשָׂר 266 n.m. flesh

of the body

flesh for the body itself

male organ of generation (euphemism)

flesh for kindred, blood-relations

man over against God as frail or erring

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1320 בָּשָׂר flesh . of the body

. flesh for the body itself

. male organ of generation (euphemism)

. flesh for kindred, blood-relations

. man over against God as frail or erring

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1320 basar baw-sawr'

from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body,

person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:--body, (fat,

lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin.

see HEBREW for 01319

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) — flesh.

1) flesh

1a) of the body

1a1) of humans

1a2) of animals

1b) the body itself

1c) male organ of generation (euphemism)

1d) kindred, blood-relations

1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God)

1f) all living things

1g) animals

1h) mankind

Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

@basar, she'er):

1. Etymology:

Used in all senses of the word, the latter, however, most frequently in the sense of kin, family, relationship (compare sha'arah, "kins-woman," Le 18:17): Le 18:6; 25:49; Pr 11:17; Jer 51:35, and probably Ps 73:26. In all other places she'er means "flesh" = body (Pr 5:11) or = food (Ps 78:20,27; Mic 3:2,3). Tibhchah, is "(slaughtered) flesh for food," "butcher's meat" (1Sa…

Flesh

In the Old Testament denotes (1) a particular part of the body of man and animals (Gen. 2:21; 41:2; Ps. 102:5, marg.); (2) the whole body (Ps. 16:9); (3) all living things having flesh, and particularly humanity as a whole (Gen. 6:12, 13); (4) mutability and weakness (2 Chr. 32:8; comp. Isa. 31:3; Ps. 78:39). As suggesting the idea of softness it is used in the expression “heart of flesh” (Ezek. 11:19). The expression “my flesh and bone” (

The substance of which the bodies of men and animals are composed. In the Bible, besides the ordinary sense, Job 33:25, it denotes mankind as a race, Ge 6:12 Ps 145:21 Isa 40:5-6; and all living creatures on the earth, Ge 6:17,19. It is often used in opposition to "spirit," as we use body and soul, Job 14:22; and sometimes means the body as animated and sensitive, Mt 26:41, and the seat of bodily appetites, Pr 5:11

and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
וִיפֹ֣תvi.Fot and good looking of H3303 Conjunction
42× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Beautiful things in the Bible are described as fair, lovely, and pleasant, as seen in the Song of Solomon, which celebrates the beauty of love and relationships. The term is used to describe people, places, and things that bring joy and delight.
Amplified meaning
beautiful, lovely in appearance
Tyndale gloss
beautiful
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָפֶה (yapheh) means 'fair' or 'beautiful,' and can describe something that is aesthetically pleasing or attractive. It is derived from the root word יָפָה (yafah). The entries consistently emphasize its use in both literal and figurative contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָפֶה adj. fair, beautiful

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3303 יָפֶה fair, beautiful

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3303 yapheh yaw-feh'

from 3302; beautiful (literally or figuratively):--+

beautiful, beauty, comely, fair(-est, one), + goodly,

pleasant, well.

see HEBREW for 03302

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָפֶה (ya.pheh) — beautiful.

fair, beautiful, handsome

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adj — Conjunction
HC/Aafpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
תֹּ֑אַרTo.'ar form H8389 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to someone's appearance or figure, describing their shape or form. It can also mean beautiful or comely, conveying a sense of attractiveness. The KJV translates it as beautiful or fair.
Tyndale gloss
appearance
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תֹּ֫אַר (to'ar) refers to outline, form, or appearance. It is derived from a related root and encompasses meanings such as figure, visage, and beauty. The term appears in contexts that describe physical attributes, but no specific verses are cited in the entries.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תֹּ֫אַר n.m. outline, form

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8389 תֹּ֫אַר outline, form

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8389 to'ar to'-ar

from 8388; outline, i.e. figure or appearance:--+ beautiful,

X comely, countenance, + fair, X favoured, form, X goodly, X

resemble, visage.

see HEBREW for 08388

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תֹּ֫אַר (to.ar) — appearance.

shape, form, outline, figure, appearance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

form (yatsar, to'ar; morphe):

(1) To form is "to fashion," "create," "produce." In the Old Testament it is for the most part the translation of yatsar, "to form," "to fashion" (Ge 2:7, etc., "Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground," etc.); also of chul and chil, "to be twisted" "turned round" "to bring forth (in pain)" (compare Isa 13:8; Mic 4:10; De 32:18 the King James Version, "God that formed thee"; Job 26:13 the King James Version; Ps 90:2, "or ever thou hadst formed the earth" etc.; Pr 26:10 the King…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ IN RELIGIOUS SERVICE 1Ch 15:13,14; 2Ch 29:34

→ IRREGULARITIES IN 2Ch 30:2-5,17-20; Mt 12:3,4

See CHURCH AND STATE

and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָהva.tir.'Ei.nah and they grazed H7462 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine plural
177× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to care for or tend to someone or something, like a shepherd with his flock. It can also mean to rule over or associate with someone as a friend, and is sometimes used to describe a close relationship.
Amplified meaning
feed, tend
Tyndale gloss
House of Shepherds
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word רָעָה (*ra'ah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to tend or pasture a flock. It covers a range of meanings including to graze, rule, associate with, and befriend. The term appears in contexts related to shepherding and companionship, with a specific mention of the 'binding-house of shepherds' in 2 Kings 10:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים perh. n.pr.loc. (binding-house of the shepherds) 2 K 10:12

base

רָעָה 167 vb. pasture, tend, graze

Qal

trans.

intrans.

Niph. poss.

Hiph. v.

base

[רָעָה] vb. prob. associate with

Qal cherish faithfulness

Hithp. do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man

base

[רָעָה] vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend;—Ju 14:20

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7462a בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים binding-house of shepherds H7462b רָעָה pasture, tend, graze H7462c רָעָה prob. associate with H7462d רָעָה vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7462 ra`ah raw-aw'

a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it;

intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively);

generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a

friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat

up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with,

herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house,

shepherd, wander, waste.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים (bet-e.qed ha.ro.im) — House of Shepherds.

Ra'ah = "pasturing"

perh. "binding-house of the shepherds"

רָעָה (ra.ah) — to pasture.

1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to tend, pasture

1a1a) to shepherd

1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)

1a1c) of people as flock (fig)

1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)

1a2) to feed, graze

1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)

1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)

1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess

Also means: ro.i (רֹעִי "to shepherd" H7473)

רָעָה (ra.ah) — to accompany.

1) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)

1a) (Qal) to associate with

1b) (Hithpael) to be companions

רָעָה (ra.ah) — to befriend.

(Piel) to be a special friend

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine plural
Hc/Vqw3fp
and there! from the River [were] coming up seven cows fat of flesh and good looking of form and they grazed among the reed[s]
בָּאָֽחוּ׃ba.'A.chu among the reed[s] H260 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A meadow refers to a field of grass or reeds, particularly those found near the Nile River. In the Bible, it is often translated as flag or meadow, describing a lush, grassy area.
Amplified meaning
meadow, field of grass
Tyndale gloss
meadow
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָחוּ (achuw) refers to reeds or rushes, particularly those found in marshy areas like the Nile. The entries suggest it covers various types of marsh plants, including bulrushes and grasses. It is mentioned in Job 8:11.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָחוּ n.m. Jb 8:11 coll. reeds, rushes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H260 אָחוּ reeds, rushes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

260 'achuw aw'-khoo

of uncertain (perhaps Egyptian) derivation; a bulrush or any

marshy grass (particularly that along the Nile):--flag,

meadow.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָחוּ (a.chu) — meadow.

reeds, marsh plants, rushes

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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